State News

Data shows Michiganders on the move despite stay-home order

May 13, 2020, 8:48 AM
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Belle Isle.

A New York Times analysis of cellphone data finds more people leaving home across the country as lockdown orders ease. But the state with the most movement is Michigan, even though its stay-home rules remain in effect. 

From March 20, when states began telling people to stay home, to April 30, when many states eased those restrictions, 43.8 percent of U.S. residents — about 144 million people — stayed home.

Last week, the share of people staying home was 36.1 percent, on average, or about 119 million people. That’s a drop of 7.7 percentage points from the average during the peak period for sheltering in place.

No state saw a larger drop in the share of people staying home last week than Michigan, even though its stay-at-home order remained in place.

Social distancing measures have been credited with reducing the number of cases in the state, and Michigan's current stay-home order runs through May 28. Restrictions have, however, been lifted on the construction, real estate activities, and manufacturing sectors.

Health experts and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have warned defying shelter-in-place guidelines could erase the gains of the last several weeks. Michigan's daily coronavirus case count has dropped significantly since the peak of the pandemic, with fewer than 500 new cases reported yesterday.

It's unclear why Michiganders in particular are on the move, but the New York Times says mixed messaging may be to blame for the national trend. Trump has suggested the country is beyond the crisis while his top experts say the opposite.


Read more:  The New York Times


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